St Kitts-Nevis Government Pays Out $17.6 Million to Help Tackle Poverty
Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 17, 2019 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has spent $17.6 million in support of the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) since it was launched in December 2018.
The figure was cited by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during a Sitting of the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 17, 2019. He noted that the total was reported by Accountant General, Levi Bradshaw, and reflected the sums paid up to August 31, 2019, to some 4,000 households.
The PAP provides a stipend of $500 monthly to households earning less than $3,000 per month.
Prime Minister Harris shared that the next instalment under the PAP will be paid tomorrow, Wednesday 18, 2019. It will undoubtedly be welcomed by beneficiaries as it comes on the eve of the September 19th Independence Day.
Dr. Harris, who also is the Minister of Finance, said the government will “continue this effort as long as it is necessary.”
“This has been a massive success and a significant part of our programme to alleviate poverty in our land and to give our people a greater sense of decency as they go about their lives in St. Kitts and Nevis,” the prime minister stated. “Five hundred dollars is significant and helps, of course, to ensure that every person can at least pay their electricity bill, or pay their water bill, make a contribution to their rent or buy food. … This is clearly part of the effort of empowerment.”
The implementation of the PAP is in keeping with Goal 1 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the website of the United Nations Development Programme (www.undp.org) Goal 1: No Poverty seeks to “end poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. This involves targeting the most vulnerable, increasing basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters.”